When we set off on the hike to Pëllumbas Cave I was expecting it to be a small overhang like other caves we had seen in Albania. I thought the hike through the mountains would probably be the highlight, but I couldn’t have been more wrong!
Pëllumbas Cave is huge. It’s a full 360m deep and you can walk its entire length. Giant formations rise up from the cave floor and dangle from the ceiling, the likes of which I’ve only ever seen on cave tours.
Bats chatter in the crevices, but otherwise it’s completely silent and exploring the pitch black chambers was definitely my favourite adventure in Tirana.
Here’s what to expect from the cave and the hike to get there.
The Pëllumbas (Shpella e Pëllumbasit) Cave hike
The stats
Distance: 2.3km each way
Elevation gain: 250m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Pellumbas Cave Trailhead
Summary: The walk to the cave has several uphill sections and a couple of descents, so you also have ups and downs on the way back - although the way back definitely has less hills to climb. The path is exceptionally well marked, almost to the point of being comical, so there’s no chance of getting lost.
The track is generally in excellent condition, though there are a few rocky sections and a minor amount of loose dirt. The same can’t be said for the railings which are in a state of disrepair and I wouldn’t trust most of them with your full weight.
Having said that the railings are nice to have, but not necessary to complete the walk. By Albanian standards this is a very good track.
When walking through the cave it is muddy in places and shoes with grip are going to be very useful here. There is one slippery slope in the cave, but there’s a fixed rope in place to help if needed.
It’s also worth noting that you can make this walk a circuit rather than an out and back if you return along the river. For us in September, the river was very dry so we’re saving that for another trip.
I have heard that the path down from the cave to the river is very, very steep so it might be better to go along the river first and then ascend the steep path as that should be much less slippery than descending it.
Where to park for the Pëllumbas Cave trail
If you don’t mind driving for 430m along a gravel road you can park by the trailhead at this spot.
There are also several restaurants with small car parks along the gravel road which you can use if you buy something from the restaurant.
Our hire car for this adventure didn’t allow driving on gravel roads, so we parked at the last point the road is paved which added on an extra 430m each way to the walk.
The easiest place to park if you don’t want to drive the gravel road is on the road opposite the Pasha Restaurant where parking is free of charge.
Top tip - hire the flashlight!
You can hire a flashlight from the owner of the Pasha Restaurant for 400 Lek (€4), they are also available from the tourist information shop next door - which may be run by the same people, it was hard to tell! Helmets are also available for hire here though we personally didn’t rent one.
In terms of whether you need a flashlight, I would say yes. You can walk through the cave with just your phone torch, but it isn’t possible to see most of the formations with such a small amount of light and that would be a shame as there are some really good ones.
I was very happy we hired the light and enjoyed the experience much more because of it. I felt like a bit of a cave tour guide being able to illuminate the formations which were really high up on the walls, something that would definitely not have been possible with a phone!
What to expect on the hike
Starting the trail: the climb begins
As mentioned above, if you park at the paved road then the first 430m of the walk is all on a gravel road (minus a short section where it’s paved again midway).
It’s mainly uphill so if you are comfortable taking your car on the road it will save you a bit of climbing.
It starts off in very good condition but then gets rougher as you near the start of the proper hiking trail. It passes several small restaurants, one of which was serving homemade rose juice amongst others which sounded lovely, but it was sadly shut on the way back when we passed by.
Roughly 430m after you leave the paved road you will see the proper hiking trail leading uphill and though there is no car park, there is room for several cars to pull fully off the road here.
The track begins as a heavily rutted dirt road and then quickly narrows to form a proper walking track. It’s all uphill and gets fairly steep 50m in.
The hike is signed throughout, alongside a pleasing number of bins which made this one of the cleanest hikes we’ve done in Albania.
Just over 100m into the hiking trail there is a brief rocky gully, but after 80m it gives way to a good track. There’s some flat track and then a small hill to climb and descend before the path flattens again.
The track flattens and the views begin
This next section of the walk is very pretty with gorgeous mountain views and a good trail, which allows you to really make the most of them without having to worry about footing.
Roughly 1km into the track there’s a nice bench seat with great views over the mountains and down into the river, which was sadly very dry on our visit in September.
After the bench seat you have a bit of a descent, first on a dirt path and then on stairs. This lasts for around 250m and then you have a fun cliff traverse.
It’s railed on one side so it’s not exposed at all and the views are fabulous.
After this short scenic traverse the path begins heading uphill on switchbacks before you come to some more bench seats if you need a break (1.3km into the hiking trail, or 1.8km from the paved parking point).
Through the woodland to the cave entrance
The final 450m stretch to the cave is through woodland. The path deteriorates in places here with some rubble and rocks on the uphill section after the benches.
The trail is then good for the short flat stretch before you descend to the cave.
The final descent is on a bit of loose dirt which can feel a touch skiddy. It’s only a very brief (50m) section though and then you will arrive at the cave mouth.
There’s a wooden platform and benches here, though sadly the entrance to the cave has been heavily graffitied.
I hate seeing graffiti and thought the cave might end up being disappointing, but luckily it gets so much better from here.
Exploring Pëllumbas Cave
Pëllumbas Cave is 360m deep and you can explore the full length if you want to!
You’ll have natural light for a little while as you head through the tunnel like entrance, but after that you will 100% need your own light source, it truly is pitch black.
The cave floor is dirt, though in the first chamber it’s compact and wasn’t sludgy or slippery making walking through a breeze.
However, watch out for the gigantic hole on the left side of the cave. It’s around about where it starts to feel a bit dark.
If you weren’t looking at the ground and fell that it would cause a serious amount of pain. You could climb out but it would do some damage!
You’ll see the first formations around this point and you can walk a little to the right to see more formations, but you can’t go far as it’s a dead end.
The cave continues to the left. This is where you’ll find the mud slope leading into the next chamber. It’s not too bad on the way up and we hadn’t even noticed the fixed rope so you can get up easily without it.
You’ll come to a cool formation which we’ve called the organ pipes, unoriginal I know, but you’ll know it when you see it! This is where the flashlight really comes into its own because there is much to see.
I was taken aback by the formations because I am used to having to take a tour to see anything this extensive. But to manage expectations, before you get too excited, these aren’t up there with some of the beautiful marble and limestone formations you see in show caves, but for a wild cave you can explore on your own they are fabulous.
As you head into the next chamber there’s a narrow section between some rock walls and then you can go right first, where you’ll find some ornate formations before heading back and carrying on straight into the final chamber.
This is by far the biggest chamber, both in terms of ceiling height and depth. This is also where you will find the majority of bats and their guano…. Those giant white rocks you see, well let’s just say I wouldn’t be putting my hands on them if I were you!
The bats are small and cute - well I think they’re cute, but I understand that maybe quite a niche opinion!
They tend to stick to the walls and fly about quite high up, so you probably won’t get too close if you are nervous about them.
This final chamber has much more slippery mud than the rest of the cave to this point and the closer you get to the end the less there is to see. If you don’t like the look of the final muddy hill, know you are not missing much.
It’s worth seeing the formations around the start of the chamber and getting a feel for how big it is, but in terms of climbing the slope, it’s not really worth it unless you are super keen - especially because remember what I said about what a lot of the mud is made up of….
You then exit the cave the same way and either follow the hiking trail back or make a circuit by cutting steeply down to the river - a much more strenuous walk.
Looking to take it up a notch?
On the way back to our car we went to check out the little info centre beside the restaurant (where you can hire the helmets etc) and I saw this….
That’s right you can camp inside the cave with all the equipment provided and have your dinner made for you for just 4000 Lek (€40)! Joe couldn’t think of anything worse, but I think it sounds pretty fun!!
Where is Pëllumbas Cave (Shpella e Pëllumbasit) located
Pëllumbas Cave is located in the village of Pëllumbas, around 20km and a 30 minute drive from Tirana. The road is sealed up until 430m from the trailhead (parking details can be found at the start of this article).
I read you can also take a bus to the village from Tirana’s south east terminal, but I couldn’t find out concrete details on this so I’m not sure if that’s accurate or not.
You can take a tour to the cave from Tirana or Durres, many include a canyon or castle on the tour as well.
You can check the latest prices on:
Where to stay in Tirana
We’ve stayed in four different places in Tirana so far, but the ones we’d recommend are:
Your Spot Apartments
These little apartments are great value for money and have everything you need if you want to self cater. Our apartment was very modern and clean with a comfy bed and black out blinds. I repeat black out blinds. The one and only time we had them across 2.5 months in Albania (since writing this, we have stayed in their other apartment and this one had a curtain, but a very good curtain that blocked out the light, so no issues there either!).
The shower is very good and there’s a handy washing machine too. It’s also fairly central, we walked into the city, but that might not be for everyone and taxis were cheap.
We stayed before we picked up our hire car the first time which is easier as there’s no dedicated parking. However, the second time we Whatsapped the owner and they kindly saved a space for us so we could park free of charge right outside the apartment.
In terms of noise, it is generally very quiet, especially considering you are in Tirana. I am very noise sensitive and I was very happy here.
You can check out the reviews and prices here:
Hotel Restaurant Emblema
So this one is actually located around 25 minutes from the city in the small village of Petrelë and is therefore only suitable if you have a car and you’re looking for a peaceful place away from the lights and noise of the city. We stayed here when Your Spot was full and we were fed up of the noise in other places we stayed in Tirana’s city centre and preferred peace over proximity.
You’ll have mountain views and the sound of tinkling cow bells rather than car horns and revving! It’s a traditional stone house with character and rooms vary in size, but even the smallest (which is the one we stayed in) had a large comfy bed and a shower with a door - no bathroom flooding here!
The internet was very fast which we didn’t expect for the location and the breakfast was the best we had in Tirana - the yoghurt and fruit was particularly good. The food in general is good and comes from the surrounding farms. It’s also close to my personal favourite restaurant in Tirana, Fustanella Farm, which is a must do for great food and stunning views.
My only word of caution if you’re noise sensitive like me is to ask for a room on the right side of the hotel (not facing the castle) as there was a bit of a buzz on that side, coming from an electrical box or something, whereas on the other side it was quiet and suitable for a complete noise-phobe like me!
You can read the reviews and check prices here:
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Everything you need to know about the hike to Pëllumbas Cave including what it’s like to explore the inside of this incredible cavern. We’re sharing difficulty level, trail conditions and what the access road is like.